Metaphor and Metaphysic: The Materials of Henri Bergson's Philosophy

This dissertation studies the making of Henri Bergson's philosophy in the contexts of pedagogy, psychology, and physiology in 1880s France. It examines the historical circumstances of Bergson's central preoccupation during these years with the mind-body problem. It uses Bergson's figurative language—a feature of his philosophical style—as clues to the objects he thought with. The dissertation shows how, through observing and reasoning in metaphor, Bergson transmuted the scientific experiences of his time into a psychology that preserved the mind's integrity and freedom.